The Florida Bar

Florida Bar News

Are you really a civil law notary?

Bar’s UPL Department paralegal Regular News

A recent check of The Florida Bar’s website showed that 2,721 individuals have included “civil law notary” in their online profiles as a service they can provide.

The list includes 24 inactive members and 12 Florida Registered Paralegals.

The problem is the Florida Secretary of State’s office says there are only 127 civil law notaries in Florida.

Unlike a notary public, a civil law notary is a member of The Florida Bar who has practiced for at least five years and who is appointed by the Secretary of State as a civil law notary after completion of specialized notarial training and passage of a state-administered examination. Civil law notaries have all of the powers of a notary public, but they also have many additional powers and responsibilities.

Check your Florida Bar profile and remove the designation if you are not a civil law notary.

If you would like to apply to become a civil law notary, visit the Secretary of State’s website for more information. Note that you must obtain a “certificate of good standing” from The Florida Bar and the certificate must accompany your application.

News in Photos